Why is their conversation absurd?

In the conversation between Lex Fridman and Jason Calacanis, part of the absurdity perceived by critics might stem from the radical suggestions made during their discussion about handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason proposes giving a million dollars each to a thousand young people to conduct challenge trials with the mRNA vaccines, implying that this approach could have potentially ended the pandemic earlier. This suggestion, while innovative, might be considered absurd due to the ethical, logistical, and regulatory hurdles involved, such as exploiting people's need for money to put them at risk of serious illness for the greater good 1.

Furthermore, Jason compares the effort to defeat the coronavirus to that of fighting the Nazis in World War II, which could be seen as an exaggerated and absurd analogy given the vastly different contexts and scales of these issues 1. Such statements highlight the complexities and ethical dilemmas in balancing public health measures with economic and social freedoms, which can make parts of their conversation appear outlandish or extreme to some listeners.